"Hello, there young fellow." Said the unidentified man.

"Can I help you?" Louise asked.

"I was looking for someone, I saw him come this way...he's one of our kind. Have you seen him?"

"No." She had sensed another Immortal earlier, but this could just be a "head hunter". "Who is he and why are you after him?"

"He's going by the name of Wade Andrews. I want him because that's what we do." He said with an evil grin on his face.

"Are you here for me too?" Lou asked. Knowing who Wade Adams really was, she didn't think he would bother her.

"That depends, who are you?"

"Mairi MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod." She said in her native Scottish brogue, with her hand comfortably on her sword.

After being stunned this "young fellow" was a she he replied, "I'll wait for a couple of centuries for you, lass. I'll let you make a name for yourself first." He said, then added, with an evil grin on his face, "Unless..."

Mairi Louise drew her sword and attacked at that, reading in his body language what the Immortal had in mind.

The unknown Immortal defended himself, gaining an upper hand. The fight continued until Kid got back with the firewood. When he saw what was going on, he pulled his gun, waiting for an open shot.

Suddenly, he had a sword at his throat, "Drop the gun." Kid did as he was told.

"You *will not* interfere. Don't worry, if she loses, she *will* be avenged." The new Immortal kept Kid's back to him, by holding him in that position.

"Why are you doing this?" Kid asked. While Mairi was fighting and it looked as though she was losing.

"I'm not a part of this, you can't interfere with this. That's all. He's after me. It just looks as though he got to her first." He saw the worry in Kid's face. "Don't worry, she's just waiting to catch him off guard. That's the way she fights. She tires them out first then she shows her true speed. Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet."

"How do you know?"

"I trained her."

"You're the one who gave her the sword with her name on it?"

"No, I'm her second teacher. I gave her the smaller sword."

"I ain't never seen another sword."

"Well, I guess she doesn't show it to everyone." At that moment, Mairi was on her knees. It looked like she was too tired to go on. Kid's heart dropped into the bottom of his stomach and his captor had to tighten his grip on him. When the Immortal who was fighting Lou, drew back his sword, she saw her opportunity. She ran him through and when he was on his knees, she dealt the fatal blow.

As Kid watched the strange lightening, he struggled to get free. His captor did not let go until the Quickening was over with. Kid ran to Lou and with the effects of the fight and the Quickening, she forgot that they were broken up. She kissed him deeply and passionately. She was about to take it further when she heard someone, clear his throat.

"Wade, what took you so long?" She said as she pulled away from Kid.

"Well, you looked like you were doing fine. You didn't even have to pull 'The Dirty Trick'."

"I needed to, but I wouldn't--not to him."

"Why not!?"

"That's what started the fight. So I acted like I was too tired to go on. It worked."

"What's 'The Dirty Trick'?" Kid asked.

"It's where she distracts her opponent." Wade offered.

When Kid's face was still a blank, Lou continued, "It's not the fact that I distract them, it's how."

"How's that?"

"I separate them from their sword and get *really* close, like I'm gonna kiss 'em, then I run 'em through with the sword and take their head."

"But why?"

"Because they're Immortal too." the male Immortal offered.

"But why would you want to kill them like that? I know that the only way an Immortal can die is by getting their head chopped off, but why would you want to kill another Immortal?"

When Wade heard this, he gave Lou a warning look. "I only told him what he needed to know when he saw me come back to life." Lou defended.

"Well I think it's about time you told him the rest don't you?"

"Told me the rest of what," Kid began, the confusion evident in his face as he looked first at one Immortal and then the other.

Lou looked at Wade with a heavy heart and resignedly agreed, "I guess you're right." Turning to face Kid, she bit her lower lip as she began.

"As you know I'm not the only Immortal around. There are others, some good, some bad. In the end there can be only one of us left. Some Immortals, like the one I just killed, are what we call headhunters. Sometimes, you can get addicted to the Quickening. They go around looking for other Immortals just for the Quickening. And still others, the ones that are bad, we have to keep from being the last one, because this world would suffer an eternity of darkness if they were to be the last."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Because I wasn't sure if you'd keep my secret at all. And when we fell in love, you were so protective, I didn't want to add to your worries."

Kid just nodded his head and went for a walk.

"He'll be back."

"I know we got a job to do. He just might not ever talk to me again."

"He loves ya, ya know?"

"How do you know?"

"You forget how old I am. I've learned to read body language."

"You really think that he loves me, Methos?" He just nodded. Lou continued "Is that why he went after the first girl he saw after we broke up?" Methos could hear the hurt in her voice.

"Is that why you were kissing him after the Quickening?"

Lou shifted uncomfortably; "You know what the Quickening does to me."

"Yes I do, and I also have been around when you weren't in love with anyone and you took a Quickening." he replied. "You just tried to kill a tree afterwards." He added with a smile, remembering the way she looked when that had happened.

"So why did you break up?"

"He wanted to marry me. He told me either to marry him or it was over."

"So, why didn't you marry him?"

"Because he wants kids and I can't give him that. Besides after what happened with Connor, I won't let anybody get that close again."

"Just because Connor was with another woman, doesn't mean Kid will do the same thing."

"I know." Lou said solemnly. "What about when he dies." She said in her defense.

"I've been married over 60 times and have had too many lovers to count and let me tell you, it hurts the same when they die. It doesn't hurt any worse just because you're married. Remember that the next time he asks you."

"What makes you so sure that he'll ask again?"

"I'm not." The world's oldest man replied. With that remark he left the woman he had first come to know as Mairi alone with her thoughts.

As he walked in the wooded area where he had been camping, he saw Kid. "Hi."

"Hi" Kid replied.

"You love her don't you?"

"It don't matter, she doesn't love me."

"Yes she does."

"What makes you so sure?"

"She told me."

"She did?"

"Yeah."

"Then why won't she marry me?"

"Because marriage scares her. She's afraid that you'll back down or go to another woman's arms. It's happened to her before. Before she became Immortal, she was promised to someone and when he found out that she was adopted, he backed out. Then, when she did find somebody who she fell in love with, she walked in on him kissing another woman. That woman was her best friend at the time."

"So Louise got hurt twice."

Methos just nodded. "You better get back before the effects of the Quickening wear off."

"What do you mean?" Kid wanted to know.

"Well, the Quickening has different effects on different Immortals, and for most of us, Louise included, it gives a intense desire to make love." The Really Old Guy said. When he saw that Kid did not pick up on the hint, he decided to elaborate a little. "And let me tell you from experience, a night filled with passion from a Quickening is wonderfully intense." When Kid blushed a little, Methos knew he got his point across.

Kid went right back to the camp, hoping on being able to repair his broken relationship with Lou. Now that he knew the reason behind her hesitation to marry him, he understood that this might be the only way he could be with her. He wasn't going to give up, but he wouldn't pressure her anymore.

"Lou," he began.

"Kid." She acknowledged keeping the effects of the Quickening in check.

Kid didn't know what to say so he kissed her. She backed off.

"Kid we can't do this."

"Why not?"

"Because, we broke up, remember?" She saw the pain in his eyes when she said that.

"Do you want us to be together?"

"What I want doesn't matter, because I can't meet your terms."

"Lou, yes or no. Do you want us to be together?"

"Kid..."

"YES OR NO" he found his voice getting out of hand.

"Yes." She almost whispered.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I can't marry you. I love you more than anything in this world, but marriage, I just can't. Maybe if you'd been around in 1641 I could have, but not after..." she let her voice trail off. She felt like she had said too much, it was too painful to talk about.

"O.K. I'll take that to mean that we are back together."

"What?" Lou just sat there stunned.

"Lou, I love you and living without you is driving me crazy. I can't go on like this. I'll take our relationship any way I can get it now. I just can't go on like this anymore." Kid said almost in tears.

*Finally, he's thinking about my feelings* Lou thought. She didn't say anything and she let go of her control of the effects of the Quickening and passionately kissed him. It had been centuries since she'd had a night of passion after a Quickening, with someone she truly loved; instead of someone she wished she could love.

As they kissed they opened their mouths to more fully taste each other and holding each other close they slowly sank to their knees. Mairi slid her fingers through Kid's hair slowly as he moved to start slowly kissing her cheeks and moving ever so slowly, with out stopping, he traced a path up one side of her face to kiss both eyes before moving down the other to end at her neck. As she tilted her head back to expose her throat to him, Kid slowly worked his way around her neck to the edge of where her shirt collar met her skin before he worked back up to her mouth. Ever so gently, Mairi started to kiss his face in response. Starting with his eyebrows and moving to his eyelids she slowly worked down to his neck where she paused for a minute to start unbuttoning his shirt. As she undid each button and pulled his shirt open, she kissed his chest and slowly worked down to his stomach.

When she had completely unbuttoned his shirt she slipped it off his shoulders to hang from where it was tucked into his pants, and started to work her way back up from his stomach back towards his chest. Slowly and deliberately, she slid her tongue out to tease his nipples and then started to nibble them. Feeling him give a slight shudder she moved from one to the other before returning to kiss him fully on the mouth as they used their tongues to tease each other.

Kid broke the kiss and bent his head and neck to where he could reach the buttons of her shirt with his teeth and slowly worked each button loose as he followed the same path that she had on him. Working his way back up after he had reached her abdomen, he brushed her shirt out of the way while slowly kissing her breasts working all the way around in slow movements ever tightening the circle that he was making until he reached her nipple where he used his tongue on her aureola before playfully nipping at her nipple with his front teeth and starting to nibble and suck ever so gently to bring her erect. After a few minutes of doing this with her left breast, he transferred his attention to her right and repeated the process.

Taking hold of Mairi with both hands, Kid slowly started to knead her buttocks with his hands as he pulled her closer to him so that he could use his teeth, tongue, and lips to remove her shirt from her shoulders to that he could resume kissing the entirety of her upper torso.

Mairi, knew that even without the Quickening, she would have been getting more and more aroused at Kid's movements, but the Quickening just made it harder to hold back for the right time. Bringing her hands down to his waist, she started to undo his pants to be able to gain access to his bulging manhood. Reaching her hand into his pants, she felt his throbbing organ and knew that he was ready to take her, but she wasn't ready for him to do so. Gently rubbing and massaging him for a few minutes and feeling him getting even harder than he had been before.

Shivering from passion as Kid continued to kiss her upper body, she pushed him back from her so that he was laying down. Pulling first one boot off and then the other she slowly pulled his pants down, running her fingernails along his body as she did so, until she had them completely off. Looking Kid in the eyes with a seductive smile both on her face and in her eyes, she slowly licked her lips and keeping her eyes on his, she bent over and placed her mouth around his erect member.

Kid arched his back and dug his fingers into the ground like claws as she swirled her tongue around him and teased the head of his manhood with her teeth while she applied gentle suction to him. Sensing his imminent release, Mairi stopped and allowed him to relax as she stood up and slowly shed her remaining clothes before she lay down beside him to start kissing him again. As she moved down his body, she turned around and sat on his chest so that she could lean over and take him with her mouth again, gently she ran her tongue around the edges of his head before moving her lips down the length of his shaft and to his sac. As Mairi took his sac in her hand, she moved her mouth to surround him and with a small amount of suction, she worked herself up and down the length of him. Sensing him shudder in the throes of ecstasy, she felt him change position slightly as he pulled her to him so that she was laying on top of him, her firm breasts pressing against the strong muscles in his stomach.

Spreading her legs with his hands and running his fingers across her inner thigh, Kid tilted his head forward so that he could nuzzle the soft light brown hair between her legs that was already moist with anticipation. Sliding his tongue first along one thigh and then the other, he finally moved to where he could place his mouth fully on her open lips so he could taste her sweet juices. Gently using teeth and tongue, he teased her sexual bud as he nibbled, applied suction, and used his tongue both on and inside her in a mirror of her own actions to him while using one hand to gently massage her lower back and the other to rub and massage her opening, releasing even more of her sexual juices for him to taste.

Mairi felt her body start to spasm with pleasure as Kid continued with his actions and sat up to fully settle herself onto his face so that he could continue with his actions without having to strain. Feeling herself approaching the point of release, she pulled off of him and turned herself around so that she could face him.

Leaning down to kiss him, they once again opened their mouths to each other to fully taste of the other. While in the throes of passionately kissing and sharing herself with Kid, Mairi raised herself up and with her hand guided his organ so that as she settled back down, she impaled herself on him.

Using her leg muscles and hips she raised herself up and down as she rocked back and forth, grinding herself against his body, before rolling them both over so that he was on top of her. Slowly at first, but gradually picking up speed and force, Kid took control and thrust himself back and forth as she continued to rock back and forth on her buttocks.

Digging her nails into his back, she tucked her face into the crook of his neck and opened her mouth to apply suction as they both reached the peak of their sexual energy. As Kid exploded and released himself fully into her, Mairi arched her back and dug her nails in even harder, drawing blood, as her entire body spasmed in perfect response to his.

Fully spent and exhausted from their passion, they lay together still joined and blissfully ignorant of their surroundings and forgetting all about supper and what had happened previously, they fell asleep, still in each other's arms.

When Lou woke in Kid's arms the next morning; the sun was high above them. "Oh, no, Kid, wake up, we're late."

Kid turned his head to kiss her without opening his eyes. "What do you mean we're late."

"I mean, it's late morning. We need to get a move on."

Freeing herself from Kid's arms, Lou sat up and quickly got dressed throwing Kid's clothes at him as she did so. Opening his eyes, he realized for himself that they were indeed late and needed to get moving. Following her example, he hurriedly got dressed and they quickly broke camp and got on their horses and moved out.

They had reached their destination before noon and were back on the trail to get back to Rock Creek. However, this time, instead of camping on the trail, they decided to get a hotel room in Willow Springs.

As they settled into the room, Kid had a question he wanted to ask. "Lou, would you tell me something?"

She thought a minute and replied, with a smile, "Depends. What is it you want to know?"

"You're what, 200 something right?" Lou nodded. "How is it that in all that time, you never learned how to cook?"

Lou started to laugh. "Kid, I do know how to cook, it's just that even if I could get all the ingredients, I doubt if you would like what I cook."

"Now why would you say something like that?"

"Because, Kid, when I learned to cook, I was growing up in Scotland. I just think that you wouldn't care for that kind of food is all. It's not what you're used to. I can also cook Spanish food; again it's not what you're used to. I tell you what, I'll ask Rachel to teach me how to cook the way she does, OK." Louise said as she put her one hand on his manhood and the other hand unfastening his pants. All the while kissing him on the neck.

Kid stepped out of his pants and gently laid Louise on the bed. All the while Louise had a hold of what she wanted. As she gently rubbed her lover's penis as it grew hard. Kid unbuttoned Louise's shirt exposing her breasts. As he slid her shirt off of her shoulders, he leaned his head down to kiss her left breast. When he had her shirt to her elbows, he gave her right breast the same attention. Louise had to let go Kid to get her shirt off, and when she did, she took off his shirt.

He took her pants off as well. He moved his head down to kiss the part of her body that gave her the most pleasure just enough to make sure it was wet enough. Louise made sure that his member was wet enough by placing him in her mouth. A low moan of pleasure escaped his mouth. After a few minutes of this they both felt like they were ready. Kid slowly entered her. Louise's body responded with pleasure as she arched her back to help him go deeper into her. They fell into a lover's rhythm that lasted for quite a while. After he had brought her to the point of sheer pleasure, he let himself go and let his seed enter her body.